06/19
July 19 – Arriving in Chesapeake, Virginia
Tuesday gave for a rather eventless Gulfstream crossing. With 14-17 kts of wind from the E, the swell did get shorter an in all the sea state was quite choppy, but never exceeding 1m of height. Contrary to expected the wind did stay strong all day and on the beam, which allowed me to keep the jib up and stunning speeds. The traffic density definitely skied on this day as I traversed a quite popular big ship route, and bumped into to a few fishing boats.
With luck the traffic did not densify as I headed for the entrance channel to the Chesapeake bay, and I was able to sneak in short naps until about 4.30pm when I reached the first channel mark. I stayed on the south side of the Southern TSS, and enjoyed watching the big tankers go by while the sun was rising. Once inside the sound, I spotted a few small rays swimming near the surface and a few pods of big dolphins.
Finaly reaching Jackson creek around 3pm, the last challenge was getting through a tiny and winding channel across some shoals. I then anchor in the sheltered creek, right in front of the Deltaville Boatyard where we will be pulling out the boat. I am surrounded by typical fancy coast side houses with green lawn and adorning the country’s flag. The breeze cools the summer the summer air, and the Ospreys are flying around. I’m starting to feel real tired, but a last quest calls me, the hunt for fresh fruit and a cold beer!
06/18
06/17
Time 2115 UTC
Position 33°31.40’N 073°58.32’W
COG 330°
SOG 7 kts
Wind ENE 16 kts
June 17th – 285 miles from destination!
The wind strengthened in the night and, on the edge of needing to take a reef, I was keeping the boat going at happy speeds around 8.5 kts all the way to the late morning. The wind has started to veer and lighten accordingly to the forecast, and I anticipate hoisting the Gennaker to get through tonight. I am about 60 miles away from reaching the gulf stream where I will ride it for a bit until I pass Cape Hatteras.
Nights are feeling a bit rough for me these days, feeling tired when I wake for checks and less willing when actions must be taken. I will emphasize on rest tonight and tomorrow before I approach the Chesapeake Bay, as I doubt I will get much rest tomorrow night.
06/16
Time 1555 UTC
Position 30°25.39’N 072°04.52’W
COG 330°
SOG 5.7 kts
Wind 13 kts NNE
June 16th – 400 miles to go
I’m currently on the south side of a big high pressure system, and am getting some NW winds, just enough to be beating nicely towards my gulfstream entrance waypoint! The center of this high will stay over Rhode Island area for the next few days and these NE to E winds should accompany me all the way to the entrance of the Chesapeake Bay.
This is the first time back on a close haul after 27 days of beam reach and running!
06/15
Time 2130 UTC
Position 29°05.45’N 071°04.92’W
COG 330°
SOG 4.5 kts
Wind NW 8 kts
June 15th – many eddies
I used the engine through the night as the breeze died down. Today the weather is quite unsettled, with heavy cloud coverage, and more or less wind from the SW to W with precipitations. I hoisted the main sail to the first reef and have been juggling between the Jib and Gennaker since this morning. The currents are also strong and all over the place. At the moment I have a knot and a half of current against me, giving me a leeway of 15°.
I am accompanied by a couple of birds of the tropic, and a few Great Shearwaters. They have caught my attention with their distinguished hunting behaviour. They approach us from afar planning down onto the water and landing a few meters away from the boat, on the beam or abaft. As soon as they have landed they dive their head under water and snorkel for several moments before emerging back up.
06/14
06/13
Time 2020
Position 24°54.72’N 069°06.30’W
COG 332°
SOG 6 kts
Wind ESE 14 kts
Sails Main 1st Gennaker
Sea 1m E swell
Daily Milage 124nm
June 13th
No big changes today. The wind remains Force 4 from E to ESE. The gennaker is still flying well. I passed the 7000 nM sailed yesterday! Down to 885 nM to destination. Better start working on that yard job list!
06/12
Time 2215 UTC
Position 22°58 67°59
COG 330°
SOG 6 kts
Wind ESE 14 kts
Daily Mileage 120 nM
June 12th
The day’s started off a bit dull, with me not getting much sleep as the wind started dying and the boom frequently bouncing about. When I got the courage to start the day, the boat speed had dropped to 3 kts, and the wind was just bellow 10 kts. I totally got nervous, thinking I made the wrong decision in changing my course yesterday, but looking at the forecast, the other route does not look much better! I took advantage of the non-activity to drop the sails and hoist the repaired Jib up its foil. I then launched the Gennaker again, this time with no mainsail, and I got back to a speed of 3 kts, but the wind dropped a knot or two more. Again, I took advantage of the light air and speed to finish my night! Around midday, with the passage of large clouds, the wind picked up again, and after hoisting the main, I am back on track at a civilized speed.
A bird of the tropics was rounding the boat this morning, he seemed particularly interested in the snuffer bunched up at the top of the Gennaker…
06/11
Time 1830 UTC
Position 20°51.57’N 066°50.55’W
COG 336°
SOG 7 kts
Wind E 14 kt
Sails Main 1st reef Gennaker
Sea 1,5m E swell
Daily mileage 139 nm
Baro 1016 hPa
June 11th – Taking care of the sails
The wind strengthened through the night, and became lighter again through the day. I was back to slow speeds often under 6 kts, but generally following the route I had set for myself. After consulting the weather today, I have made a rather big change in the routing. It seems like the straight-line route is favourable, and it will certainly give me a better wind angle and speeds.
I have spent all of yesterday afternoon and this morning stitching up loose parts on the Jib UV tape. This is a never ending job, as all the thread holding the UV tape on is wearing away, small sections tear apart every day!
06/10
Time 1952 UTC
Position 19°38.91’N 065°02.84’W
COG 255°
SOG 5 kts
Wind E 13 kts
Sea 1m E Swell
Daily mileage 151 nM
June 10th – A quick stop in the Caribbean
I just made a quick stop in the Caribbean! First stop was in Antigua where I was able to fill my tanks in English Harbour for this last leg of the trip. As we have entered the hurricane season, I want to make sure I have the fuel capacity to get myself out of the track of an eventual developing system. I was also able to stock up on some exotic fruits and enjoy a swim around the boat, which I anchored in Gallion Beach. I found and fitted a second-hand kite that North Sails had in their loft, but it turned out to be too big. The second option was in St Maarten. I set off before sunset and sailed through the night the hundred miles to St Maarten.
I was able to catch up with a girlfriend there, who has the habit of showing me a new corner of her island each time I stop there. This time, she brought me snorkelling in La Baie Rouge, on the French side of the island. I caught on some sleep and then had a crash course on Mushroom farming, as Stephana has just started her own business and is supplying the local restaurants with Oyster Mushrooms and Lion’s Mane amongst other varieties.
I left St Maarten yesterday afternoon in a light E breeze and hoisted my new Gennaker, which flew like a dream! I am following a heading of 310° which is lower than the straight route to Chesapeake, but there is a big wind hole on the straight-line route, so I am roughly following the chain of island, staying far enough to avoid the traffic and stronger squalls. Even though I now have a downwind sail, it only allows me an angle of 160° at most, and I had to gybe to get back on my course. I will be gybing again in a couple of hours.
06/07 – 06/08
Stop over in Antigua and St Marteen
06/06
Time 0130 UTC (07/06)
Position 16°51.56’N 060°49.54’W
COG 278°
SOG 5.5 kts
Wind ESE 10 kts
Propulsion Main Engine
June 6th
Quite a busy day today, changing racors and secondary fuel filter on engine, replacing jib tack that unscrewed for the fifth time (hopefully the Duralac I applied will keep it tamed), trying to find a second hand spinnaker in the windward Islands, and generally getting ready for arrival in Antigua tomorrow. The stopover is going to be a bit of a rush as I have a good list of things to achieve and want to continue on as quickly as possible. At the moment there is light but steady and favorable wind until the following Saturday, and if I sort out my downwind sail situation I would like to grab this window.
I am 60 miles out of English Harbour; will try to get as much rest as possible but will keep highly vigilant as I am approaching the islands.
06/05
Time 1934UTC
Position 16°23.88’N 058°19.35’W
COG 280°
SOG 5.3kts
Wind 10 kts ESE
Propulsion ME
Sea 1m E swell
June 5th
The wind was up again through the night and I was sailing at around 5 kts with just the jib up. At sunrise, it lightened again and even after going through the effort of tacking the jib pole, and hoisting the staysail, I only managed a sad speed of 2,5 kts. I am in desperate need for a downwind sail! I am hoping I might be able to find one in Antigua or St Maarten. But until then, I decided to switch the engine on for the most desperate moments, and switch it back off again when the breeze is fresh enough to make 3 or 4 kts.
I performed another repair stitch in the mainsail, where it has been chaffing against the spreader.
06/04
Time 0038 UTC (05/06)
Position 15°58.71’N 056°43.39’W
COG 283°
SOG 5.7 kts
Propulsion ME
Wind ESE 11 kts
June 4th – Light winds again but getting close
Today I decided to start fishing. And I got quite lucky because only four minutes after throwing a rapala overboard, I caught a Spanish Mackerel. It only took me fifteen minutes of reeling in to realize it was not just a chunk of seaweed. As I got it closer to the boat and found out I had caught dinner, it managed to knock itself off the hook. Classic for me. I always faff around too much at the moment of pulling the fish out of the water. Well in this occasion, being alone for the maneuver had me spending a bit more time on the strategy elaboration. I didn’t get so lucky again the rest of the day, except at sunset when I spent half an hour reeling in that big chunk of seaweed.
The wind noticeably decreased today; I slowly sailed all afternoon at around 5 knots, but after a gibe in the evening, the wind lightened ever so more, our speed dropped to 4 kts and the boom was just banging too much, I decided to drop the main. With the jib on the pole, gibed back to starboard, I am doing 3 knots… I started the engine and have been putting a few revs in, but I’m feeling particularly tired today, as I spent most of it outside, I might just switch it off and take advantage of a slow speed to have longer naps through the night. I am 300 NM off of Antigua and am strongly considering stopping there to fill my tanks and be in a better place to start the last leg of the trip.
06/02
Time 1907 UTC
Position 13°16.01’N 051°59.13’W
COG 292°
SOG 6.5 kts
Wind E 17 kts
Sails Main 1st reef, Jib on pole in goosewing Baro 1014 hPa Sea 2,5m E swell Daily Mileage 152 nM
June 2nd – Easy days
The boat is so tamed under its goosewing set up, and the wind steady and reliable. I’m not always going very fast, but I sure have a perfect course. There have been no squalls through the night, and no traffic. This sailing style is easy and pleasant, and I am making good progress on my book, but also my crochet project!
06/01
Time 1909 UTC
Position 12°19.96’N 049°30.05’W
COG 292° SOG 5,9 kts
Wind E 15 kts
Sails Main 1st reef, Jib in goosewing on pole
Sea 2,5m ENE swell
Daily Mileage 151 nM
June 1st – the trades go on
Wind has veered a tad, and forced me to put the jib in goosewing, and shake a reef. I am struggling to keep six knots and the roll is big but rather gentle. But the forecast gives me around 17kts of wind for the next days so that should keep me going.
I have changed my next waypoint; This one has me going towards Antigua. Depending on the weather forecast I get nearing Thursday, I might decide to stop and wait for a better window. The winds are very light at the moment between the Caribbean and the East Coast and this last leg is going to be tricky.
One poor flying fish battled for his life in the cockpit last night. In vain. Bless his little soul.
05/31
Time 1642 UTC
Position 11°17.59’N 046°56.67’W
COG 294°
SOG 5 kts
Wind E 13 kts
Sails Main 2nd reef, Jib on pole
Sky overcast
Sea 3m E swell
Baro 1013 hPa
Daily Mileage 163 nM
May 31st – A windy night
The wind blew strong through the night, to the exception of moments between squalls where it was light, the boat was subject to more roll and the boom dancing side to side. I spent the night tightening and releasing the boom preventor according to the pressure it was working against. Indeed, when the wind was strong enough to stabilize the boom, the curve it tried to draw in the sail worked hard against the preventer, making it screech against the winch holding it. With this stronger wind, nonetheless, seeing that the vang is not in place, I am unable to use the first reef on a downwind run: the amount of sheet I must let out to ensure its stability in the roll lends to a large surface of contact between the sail and the aft-swept spreaders, and the second batten from the top gets bent on the passage of a shroud. When the wind is lighter though and I don’t risk a broach, I am able to haul the sail in and use an inside boom preventer to the rail, but then it is difficult to say if this is more efficient than an open 2nd reef.
The wind stayed strong during the morning and has lightened down this afternoon, leaving me in a light but continuous cover of shapeless clouds and a dark sea. The sargassum, although not forming huge islands anymore, due to the activity of the swell, is everywhere, in small separate floating handfuls.
05/30
Time 1918 UTC
COG 296°
SOG 6 kts
Wind 16 kts E
Sails Main 1st reef, Jib on pole
Sea 2m E swell
Sky mostly covered
Baro 1012 hPa
Daily Mileage 165 nM
May 30th – surprised by a squall
I was enjoying a pleasant moment reading my book in the cockpit when I got surprised by a violent squall. Seeing that I had full sails up, the boat quickly went into a broach and I jumped forward to reef the mainsail. In the process of tightening the halyard I heard a sharp snap. The pin in the headboard car had popped out. Thankfully the halyard is tied to the sail and the car slid down the rail smoothly. I dropped the mainsail and luckily the pin was tied onto the halyard with a line. It was just a matter of fitting a new split pin. Doing so, I noticed some stitching missing on 15cm under the first batten. I tended to the repair with the Speedy Stitcher, under the rain, holding tight to the boom with my legs to avoid being thrown off at each wave! Sail’s back up now, to the first reef, and Jib is on the pole. I am still on course and speed is staying over 6 kts!
05/29
Time 1902 UTC
Position 09°01.19’N 042°24.78’W
COG 296°
SOG 6 kts
Wind E 16 kts
Sails Full main, full jib
May 29th – 1200NM to the Caribbeans
I made good progress towards waypoint all throughout the night and the morning with wind speeds of 17 kts and above. The wind has now stared veering and the increased wind angle is steeling speed from us. I have 1200 miles left to reach St Maarten, that’s 8 days if I’m optimistic.
I had a visit from a tropic bird this morning! They call it Hay Tail in French, Paille en Queue, for its very long and thin tail.
05/28
Time 1523 UTC
Position 07°28.62’N 039°31.57’W
COG 315°
SOG 6,8kts
Wind ENE 12-15kts
Full main, full jib
Overcast
1,5m swell
May 28th – Wind hole
Breeze freshened up in the night, but this morning I got stuck for several hours in a patch with no air. Now that some wind is back from the ENE, I am following a course of 320° (20° above course) to get inside the stronger trades before getting back on course.
05/27
Time 2045UTC
Position 06°13.65’N 037°54.68’W
COG 298°
SOG 4.5 kts
Wind ESE 12 kts
Sea 2m E swell
Sails Main 2dn reef, Jib on pole in goosewings Sky light overcast Baro 1012 hPa
May 27th – Dead down wind
Last night was a bit restless. Around ten in the evening the wind still hadn’t picked, but the swell did rise on the beam to about 2m. As I approach the skipper cabin, I realize I hadn’t closed this one hatch during the previous strong rainfall, the sheets and mattress are soaking wet! Between the moisture and the violent roll, no sleep for me until midnight when some consistent wind builds and stays after a squall. Main up to the 2nd reef on a hunch, although the wind wasn’t strong. And not a minute after tightening the pennant, did the breeze lift to 25kts+. Moderate breeze stayed for about one hour before lightening down and the boom starts banging around with every wave’s passage. I install the boom preventer, but also rig the jib pole, and this seems to hold all the way to the morning. Around 8, surrounded by dark low clouds, the wind builds and hits 40kts and I reach my “post doldrum waypoint”. I bear away but the jib doesn’t handle the mainsail’s wind shade. I observe and slowly gather some courage and my raingear to go on deck, tack the gib pole and bail with buckets the water that has accumulated in the lazy sail.
The weather seems to have settled now, with overcast skies, 13-15kts breeze from ESE, and has me going between 4 and 6 kts straight downwind, with a heavy roll and a strong ambition to take a couple of naps.
05/26
Time 1638 UTC
Position 04°27.99’N 036°43.42’W
COG 326°
SOG 5,4 kts
Wind Light and variable
Propolsion Main Engine
Baro 1011 hPa
May 26th – In the doldrums
Wind is now between 0 and 3 knots and the sea has calmed to long an unorganized swell with one meter troughs. I have also entered an area of massive patches of sargassum. They appear like dark brown patches on the swell and reach widths of ten to twenty meters. When large patches are not in sight, small handfuls of the seaweed are visible in all directions. This seems to indicate my entrance into the Sargasso Sea.
I had a close approach with two fishing boats, one last night and one in the morning. Both tried to get my attention on the VHF. Both calls were quite confusing and fruitless, as even though it seemed clear they were speaking in Portuguese, their accent and the VHF grizzle made their words undecipherable. But we gave ourselves a mile clearance and went on our way.
05/25
Time 1900 UTC
Position 02°18.77’N 035°48.81’W
COG 340°
SOG 5.8 kts
Propulsion Main Engine, Mainsail 1st reef Wind E 5 kts Sea 1m E swell Sky 4/8 cloud cover, stratus and stratocumulous
May 25th – A pleasant visit
I am using the engine today, with an unfortunate change in the forecast, I shall expect to keep it on all through tomorrow. I am taking advantage of this to make a bit of West and position myself for better when I reach the ENE winds.
I had multiple visits from a pod of dolphins today. These are definitely more exciting when you’ve been alone for so many days, and haven’t seen much more than flying fish and birds! I had a lovely moment watching them from the pulpit.
05/24
Time 1730 UTC
COG 345°
SOG 5.3 kts
Wind ESE 10 kts
Sea 1m SE swell
Sky 3/8 coverages cumulus
Baro 1009 hPa
May 24th – Equator crossing
Last night was different to the previous. I kept the full main up and never got any violent squalls. We’re slowly making North today, expecting the wind to die more tonight, when I will surely have to interrupt the peace with the noise of the engine. I have just passed into the Northern Hemisphere, and made a rum offering to Neptune to summon his good fortune and permission to cross the Equator. Hopefully he will send many big squalls to keep me moving smoothly.
05/23
Time 1800 UTC
Position 01°51.18’S 034°09.68’W
COG 346°
SOG 5 kts
Wind E 12 kts
Sea 1,5m E swell
Sails Main 1st reef Jib
Baro 1010 hPa
May 23rd – Not all eventless trade winds
I was wrong when I though yesterday was the start of a long, slow and event-less sail downwind until the windward islands. After a day of light winds, slow speeds, and eventual squalls passing over and robbing us of the little breeze left, the night fell and brought an exponential amount of squalls. One after the other passing over head, bringing 25 to 30 kts of wind, with so small gaps between them, there was rarely any moments of complete calm through the night. I managed to get rest through all of this by reefing the main and putting the autopilot on wind vane mode, to a safe 115° angle, and had enjoyed a comfortable sail, with great speeds and angles. If I was forced to make North yesterday, I got right back onto the route I had planned. Mid-morning today, the wind lightened again, and I am back to gentle speeds, but there is a generous current pushing me west and bettering my COG.
I have been hosting travellers during the dark hours. Two nights in a row now, after the sun has set, I have been observing a couple of birds struggling to land on any part of the boat to rest through the night. They finally found their technique to landing on the Starlink dish or on the Pushpit handrail. These birds seem to be black, medium sized, thin and arched wings, and a long thin beak with a light curve. I have not observed them in the day time and do not recognize the species. By the first rays of the day they are already gone.
At sunset last night, I was also able to observe several flocks of Boobie birds fling in unison and very close to the water, in a general direction of the Island of Fernando de Noronha.
05/22
Time 2142 UTC
Position 03°27.48’S 032°57.07’W
COG 240°
SOG 5.4kts
Wind ESE 15kts
Sea 1.5m SE
Sails Main Jib
Baro 1011 hPa
May 22nd – Not stopping this time
I passed Fernando de Noronha today. I decided against stopping since I lost so much time with last week’s head winds and the stop in Vitoria. Furthermore, the routing predictions worsen if I delay of 38 hours. I also opted for a NNW route crossing the equator in a couple of days and reaching northern trade winds which should give me a better angle for making west.
The wind went S of E this morning and I have struggled to keep a low angle. I’m trying to go as low as I can making sure not to fall slower than 5kts. Today more than ever I am missing our spinnaker, and this feeling will most likely persist all the way until I reach the Caribbean.
I have 3500 nm left until my destination. I guess I can say I have passed half way…
05/21
Time 1711 UTC
Position 06°19.76’S 032°35.18’W
COG 355°
SOG 6.5 kts
Wind ESE 12-15kts
Sea 2m SE swell
May 21st – Trades are back
After a day of light winds from all directions, a dark cloud brought 12-14 knots of wind from the E around 10pm in the evening. Once the cloud passed, the wind stayed and I hoisted the main to support the already working jib. And just like that we were back on track and in speed through the night. Unfortunately, even with all the sails up, the wind is creeping towards SE today and our speed is dipping to 6 kts and under every now and then. At the moment I am aiming for a waypoint 20 miles due West of Fernando de Noronha, but if get a little more pressure, I might bear away 20° to get a better angle for crossing the equator in lighter winds.
05/20
Time 1706
Position 08°42.26’S 032°36.93’W
COG 002°
SOG 5 kts
Wind SE 14 kts
Sails Main 1st reef Jib in goosewing
Sea 1,5m SE swell
Sky 1nm visibility, thick cloud cover, rain Baro 1012 hPa
May 20th – A downwind torture
Instead of lightening up a bit, the wind completely died in the night. After steaming for a few hours in hopes of getting out of a light patch, I finally dropped all the sails, switched the engine off and enjoyed a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. In the morning, a gentle breeze started to form, although directly linked to the thickness of the cloud cover. I dared to assume it would stick around long enough to get the sails back up, so I did just that, but putting three reefs in the main to try and sort the broken leech line issue. While I was busy at that it started raining heavily and I took advantage again of the situation and enjoyed a quick but well needed natural shower! It turns out the reef in the main works great at water retention and flow control.
To no one’s surprise, the wind only lasted about an hour after hoisting the full main, and I engaged the engine again to avoid the total discomfort that comes with the remains of a 2m swell. At that point the wind comes and goes with the passing squalls, light and from all directions! Around 2 pm it seems to settle and build from the S. I open the main and tie the boom preventer on port side, rig the pole and unfurl the jib on starboard. The wind is barely 10 knots and the sails are flapping and the boom is banging. But I am still going forward at three knots, speed which within an hour climbs to four and then five knots. The forecast wind seems to be here now, but in reality, I am just surrounded by a very big squall. There is no saying what comes next.
05/19
Time 2100 UTC
Position 09°56.46’S 032°59.62’W
COG 030°
SOG 6 kts
Wind E 10 kts
Sails Full Main , Jib, Staysail
Sea 2m E swell
Sky cover 2/8 Cumulus
Baro 1011 hPa
May 19th – Hold course and all
I literally haven’t touched the sails or heading today. The wind has given a little through the night, and lightened through the day but I have kept a good speed thanks to a little more relaxed wind angle.
I definitely lost the momentum when I stopped in Vitoria and I find myself struggling to have productive and purposeful days. Although I am trying to finish reading Bougainville’s “Voyage around the world” as soon as possible so I can start the Paolo Coelho’s I got during my stopover, the days quickly feel pointless if I don’t fill them with a variety of tasks. I have finished my last package of frozen Pao de Quiejo this morning, and it feels like I can finally try to get back to a healthy diet and a methodical daily routine.
I have just crossed over the 10° latitude line. Tomorrow I will be reaching the height of Recife, still keeping about 150 nm offshore and will have two more days to reach Fernando de Noronha. Looking at the forecast, I’m expecting 0.7 kts of current against me tomorrow and the next day. Closer inshore, there is 1.5 kts of north setting current, but the wind is also more south thus I would loose speed with a larger wind angle, and the presence of unlit fishing boats is a definite con. There hasn’t been any traffic out here since yesterday!
05/18
Time 1700 UTC
Position 12°49.68’S 034°41.26’W
COG 026°
5,5 kts
Wind E 9 kts
Sails Full Main, Jib, Staysail
Sea 1,5 m E swell
Baro 1011 hPa
Sky Mostly clear, cumulus and strato cumulus on horizon
May 18th – Latitude keeps going down, temperatures warm up some more
A big change since yesterday, the sky has cleared and the wind has lightened, still E, but my speed’s dropped to 5kts and under. I’m playing with the sails, but still feels slow. Almost like an opposite current, or is the hull really that dirty? During my stop in Vitoria, I noticed the waterline has grown itself a bit of a beard. I put the storm staysail away and hooked up the staysail, I gained a definite .5 kts there.
I have had a few booby birds around since yesterday, they are light brown in color and I haven’t noticed yet if they dive or not. There also are a few petrels.
05/17
Time 1700 UTC
Position 15°12’S 36°01’W
COG 029°
SOG 8.0 kts
Wind 18 kts E
Sails Main 1st reef, Jib 1st reef
Sea E 1 m
Sky mostly overcast
Baro 1012 hPa
May 17th- Finally in the trade winds
The wind appeared in the evening and continued building through the night from ESE until reaching about 15-16 kts in the morning, which had me going nicely at 7,5 – 8 kts with full sails up. Now the area has become rather squally, and I’ve reefed the main down one for the frequent gusts to over 20 kts. These come accompanied of a gentle and refreshing rain, which along with the spray is helping to wash off the still present dust from the city.
I am aiming for a waypoint at 030° keeping me at closest 150 nm from mainland and have 700 miles before reaching the heights of Fernando de Noronha. If all goes well,this easterly wind should stay with me until I approach the ITCZ!
05/16
Time 1818 UTC
Position 17°20.19’S 037°30.25’W
COG 036°
SOG 5.6 kts
Wind E 5 kts
Propulsion Main engine, ful main and jib Sea 2ft Baro 1013 hPa
May 16th – an expected day of steaming
I had to drag my self out at 3 last night to drop the pole on the jib with the wind backing and my speed dropping. Traffic wise, I got the same scenario as the previous day, with lots of traffic but no close approaches. My vigilance at night has increased a bit though and I emphasis on a proper horizon screening every half hour because Pedro warns me about unlit fishing boats along the coast of Brazil. This morning, I have also seen two fishing boats that did not appear on AIS nor Radar.
The wind has dropped, as expected from the forecast and I am motoring through in order to not stay stuck in an area of light winds, but instead catch some steady East winds starting tonight.
05/15
Time 0052 UTC (16/05)
Position 18°42.81’S 038°26.39’W
COG 036°
SOG 5.0 kts
Wind SE 11kts
Sea 2 ft
Sails Full Main, Jib on the pole
May 15th – Back to sea
After a rich cultural stop in Vitória, I headed back to sea yesterday evening at sundown. It is about five miles between the Iate Clube de Espirito Santo and the start of the shipping vessel’s anchoring areas. Luckily, despite the large number of ships at anchor, there was very little traffic while I made my way out. As I made distance from the shore the wind started building for the South and after a few trials I settled for using just the jib on the pole for a downwind angle with 1m of well, which got me going nicely at 5 kts through the night. There is an oil extraction area just North East of Vitória, so I opted for a course south of NE and gave a 5 mile clearance to the so named area to be avoided. For the first part of the night I ran into a bit of traffic, including fishing boats with close CPAs, but got a bit of rest once passed a tall and well lit oil platform.
In the morning and during the whole day I have been crossing and getting overtaken by many ships. These crossings are easy and stressless as we all appear to be on parallel routes.
The wind lightened during the day but it has now backed enough to get me going nicely on a gentle beam reach.
05/14
May 12th-14th – Cultural stop in Vitória
My stop in Vitória was a refreshing opportunity to shake my legs in a morning beach run, enjoy the local food and fresh coconut water, visit the botanical garden and panoramic views of the city. The custom formalities, as anticipated, took several hours, as it is clear this city is not a popular entry or exit port for cruisers and the officials, although very welcoming and friendly are not familiar with the procedure. I managed to top up my fuel tanks with several dinghy trips to the fuel dock. As I had suspected, the fuel dock is tricky to maneuver to, it is in the very inner corner of marina and also too shallow for Little Cloud. I also took advantage of the stop to top up with fresh tropical fruit and local delicacies such as Pao de Queijo, Tapioca, Farofa, and Açai.
My first morning waking up in the bay of Praya do Canto, I was greeted by Cesar, who came to visit me in a plastic skiff, and claimed he was a friend of Bruno and Eliz from SV Rajadao, friends we met in back in Polynesia. Cesar told me he works night security shifts at the Iate Clube and was on his way to his boat to get some rest. He let me know about a popular Youtube channel #Sal that had an episode about him, Episode #268. Bruno and Eliz also appear on the Youtube channel on episode #287. During the rest of my stay Cesar kept a vigilant eye on the boat for me and tried to be as helpful as possible.
The highlight of my stay was definitely the Uber Motorcycle rides to get around this big city and practicing my ever improving Portuguese!
05/12
05/11
May 11th – A stop in Vitória
Time 1635 UTC
Position 20°23.10’S 039°48.92’W
COG 270°
SOG 7 kts
Wind N 10 kts Propulsion Main Engine, Full Main, Full Jib
I reassessed the forecast this morning, there is light north winds expected between my position and Abrolhos (230 nm North) between today and Tuesday. Pass Abrolhos, and to the east there is no wind. The wind being so light, and the presence of West and South setting currents, I can only anticipate poor sailing angles, very little progress, many windless moments, and much frustration. I will happily exchange those factors with a little dose of entrance formalities, Acai bowls, Pao de Queijo, fresh fruit juice and exploring a new place. I am now headed to Vitoria, region of Espiritu Santo. I will load up on a bit of diesel and some very missed olive oil and plan to head back out on Wednesday.
Land HO!
05/10
Time 2213 UTC
Position 21°09.38’S 038°37.30’W
COG 004°
SOG 5,5 kts
Propulsion Engine
Wind NE 3kts
May 10th – Trades are further North
The wind died right down this morning as I reached my waypoint. I was still able to sail at 3 kts, and 6 kts during the gusts as the wind veered east throughout the morning. After lunch it gave up and I switched the engine on to make a little progress north, while taking advantage of the situation to drop the Jib and tend to the much-needed repair stitches along the UV tape. The wind should pick up slightly through the night, but from the North, and this will persist for the next four days. I am hoping to be able to slowly sail close hauled and gain some ground until I reach some easterly winds. I considered stopping in Vitoria and waiting on some favourable winds but the complications involved convinced me to slowly continue North instead.
It’s going to be a long few days ahead!
05/09
Time 1619 UTC
Position 22°48.24’S 038°49.25’W
COG 345°
SOG 6.4 kts
Wind NE 14-16 kts
Sea 2m NE swell
Sails Main 1st reef, full jib
Baro 1014 hPa
May 9th – Clearing Cabo Ridge
I noticed I had a very large tack angle, 130°, yesterday evening as I approached a restricted area off Cabo Frio, and, after double checking the forecast, found a south setting current reaching up to 2,5 kts. As I headed east, I managed to place myself in an Eddie with a North set to tack into and head north this morning. I got a break in terms of traffic last night, but did get shaken at one of my radar and horizon checks when I got up to very bright flashes outside. At first, I thought it was lightning but once out on deck I found the Man Over Board float light had fallen out of its bracket and activated itself. I managed to turn it off just by flipping it back upside down and placed it back. This morning, my new tack has me on a 340° COG. I am expecting the wind to veer as gain north, but so far it has only lightened and pushed me just a little more West.
05/08
Time 1743 UTC
Position 23°37.61’S 040°00.83’W
COG 359°
SOG 6 kts
Wind NE 15 – 18 kts
Sea 2.5m NE swell
Sky 3/8 cloud cover, large cumulus
Baro 1013 hPa
Sails Main 1st reef, Jib 1st reef
May 8th – Getting close to Cabo Frio
Last night came with little rest. I was on a starboard tack, aiming towards Cabo Frio with a 340° COG, and have obviously crossed what seems to be a quite frequented route. More specifically, a line paralleling the coast line, at a distance of about 80 NM. There was very few moments where my radar was free of targets. Around 3.am, I was on a collision course with too large targets right ahead of me, and since this coincided with an unfavorable wind shift, I took the opportunity to change tacks. During the maneuver in the cockpit, I could clearly see two sets of bright lights, and behind them a few bright patches from lights below the horizon. The chart indicated in that area three offshore platforms. I stayed on the new tack until after lunch, and now I am aiming for land again, planning the next tack at sunset before getting too close to a restricted area.
Today I spotted my first Booby bird. This one, like a gannet was mostly white, with black upper wing extremities. He flew high close to the rig, perhaps eying the shaded water that the sail frees of any sun glare, and I watched him perform a couple dives.
05/07
Time 1723 UTC
Position 25°04.81’S 040°37.60’W
COG 340°
SOG 6 kts
Wind NE 14 kts
Sea 1m N swell
Sails Main 1st reef full jib
Baro 1014
May 7th – Will the trades be there…
I am headed straight for Cabo Frio! I tacked last night and have been making good progress on a good enough heading. The bad news is the trade winds are forecast to die down right about when I am due to reach them. There will be very light or headwinds for about five days. I’m keeping my head high and my options open, but hoping there might be a sea breeze or other favourable local wind effect once I get passed Cabo Frio. This tack gives me more shade than yesterday, therefore the heat isn’t as strong as yesterday, and the urge for an after lunch siesta much weaker! The wind however is lightening down and I am about to shake the first reef out of the main.
05/06
Time 1640 UTC
Position 26°46.42’S 040°48.39’W
COG 080°
SOG 6.0 kts
Wind N 16 kts
Sea 2m N wind swell
Sails Main 1st reef, Jib 1st reef
Sky 2/8 cumulus
Baro 1016 hPa
May 6th – Time to close haul
An anticyclone is well established SE of me and I am getting consistent and warm northerly winds. Sun is out and it is truly feeling like a day on the trade winds, except the fact I am facing the wrong way. I am as close hauled as Little Cloud can handle it, and that angle is no great performance; add to it 10 degrees of leeway, and this is when I have to show proof of great patience. I will have to tack my way up to Cabo Frio before I can attack the trade winds with a good angle and aim straight for Fernando de Noronha. I am planning to throw in my first tack late this evening or early tomorrow morning, to stay away from a zone of light winds developing East of me.
05/05
Time 2120
Position 27°14.25’S 042°44.52’W
COG 066°
SOG 5.8 kts
Sails Full main full jib
Sea 1.5m N swell
Sky Entering a zone of thick stratus
Baro 1016 hPa
May 5th – A light beat
The wind back gradually at the beginning of the nigh, forcing me to head North, until it actually died around 3.am, when I dropped all the sails and took advantage to have a bit of a sleep in. Around 7.am it lifted again, although very light, this time from NNW and had me following with full sails a perfect NE all day, under clear skies and a warming sun. A small lull at sunset but I seem to be going again, but with a bit of a header and a less ideal course of 070°.
The weather is real lush now, I spent most of the day on deck, not forgetting the sun lotion of course.
05/04
Time 2144 UTC
COG 015°
SOG 5.6 kts
Wind 13 kts E
Sea 2m SE swell
Weather overcast, squals, rain
Sails main 2nd reef full jib
Baro 1010 hPa
May 4th – A rainy day
The wind has been backing regularly through the night and, having the autopilot on wind vane mode, got me doing a perfect curb from E to N. But in the morning, with the numerous squalls, the wind, along with getting stronger, kept coming back SE and had me back on direct course to waypoint. It has been raining heavily during the squalls, and I have had to scoop out the water accumulated in the reefed section of the mainsail, before flaking it again. The forecasts, although generally pointing toward reality, have been off slightly for the last three days, and the trough of the low pressure system I am chasing appears to be, to my advantage until now, slightly north of anticipated. It is curious and disorienting to see such a gap between forecast and reality, after seeing how crazily precise the models have been all along our trip and until now.
05/03
Time 1650 UTC
Position 30°38.75’S 045°44.32’W
COG 060°
SOG 7.2 kts
Wind SSE 12 kts
Sea 2m SE swell
Sky 7/8 Stratocumulus / alto stratus
Sails Main 1St reef full jib
Baro 1009 hPa
Daily Mileage 180nm
May 3rd – Finally moving
Strong winds from SE to SSE persisted yesterday until the evening, then I went unfurling the jib little by little through the night. Today it is oscillating in the mid-teens which, with the main shaken to first reef, allows me to keep a decent speed on a reach. The sailing is comfortable, and I am planning to work on the water maker this afternoon. I had a go at assembling the new pump in Puerto Williams, but had a few leaks, and fun local activities won over the necessity of water for daily showers. Now that the weather is getting more clement, also have I been changing my mind.
05/02
Time 1455
Position 32°24.07’S 048°59.09’W
COG 055°
SOG 8.1
Wind SE 25-30kts
Sea 2m SE wind wave
Sails Main 3rd reef Jib 3rd reef
Baro 998hPa
Sky thick stratus cover
Wind stayed light and from the NE up until About 10.30 PM, when it veered and I finally could start sailing. I put one reef in the main and as I unfurled the jib, noticed the tack snap shackle was loose. The head had unscrewed itself from the body. Thankfully the wind was still light, and bearing away I was able to drop the halyard and reconnect.
May 2nd – Caught up by the front
The wind built through the night and I was able to control the heel and speed with the Jib, then it lightened up again at dawn. It seems as if the front stagnated. Not long after I had full sails out again searching for more speed, the wind picked up and I gradually followed it with first, second then a third reef. It’s reaching over 30 knots now from the SE and has me on a beam reach heading slightly south of NE at 8 kts.
Outside, as you would expect from a front, it is heavily overcast with intermittent light rain, fresh, but not cold, and a few petrels are out and about. I am currently at the height of the frontier between Brazil and Uruguay, and just about 300 miles off from Dom Pedrito, Pedro’s home town!
A few more stitches came lose on the jib’s UV tape, I will have to tend to them when the wind lightens.
05/01
Time 1800 UTC
Position 33°30.86’S 050°51.54’W
COG 060°
SOG 5 kts
Wind NE 5kts
Propulsion ME
Sky Stratocumulus; Cumulonimbus on S horizon Sea Calm, 1m long swell from NE
May 1st – A bit of traffic
I had to hoist the jib pole at three to continue sailing slowly a few hours in the early morning, but soon had to give up and use the iron sail when the wind finally died. Winds are light and from NE, so I am slowly making way against it and getting ready for tonight’s SE blow. The wind should start picking up on my starboard beam within the next hour.
I caught an impressive scene when crossing paths with a moving gas platform, with high rigs and moving along at 11kts. Nope. Wind stayed light and from the NE up until About 10.30 PM, when it veered and I finally could start sailing. I put one reef in the main and as I unfurled the jib Noticed the Tack snap shackle was loose? The head had unscrewed itself from the body. Thankfully the wind was still light, and bearing away I was able to drop the halyard and reconnect.
04/30
Time 1555 UTC
Position 35°06.35’S 052°23.65’W
COG 338°
SOG 5.0kts
Wind NNE 13kts
Sails Main 1st reef Full jib
Baro 1002
Daily Mileage 150nm
Sea 1.5m NE swell
April 30th – Waiting for the shift
I reefed up to 3rd reef on the main, furled away the jib and hoisted the storm staysail in the late evening as the wind started to increase and the swell started to build from the NE. I took a heading to half way up the Uruguayan coast as to stay under the stronger winds, yet heading up up half way in the night, to avoid getting close to the continental shelve while the sea was still high. The sea floor rises from 2000 m to 100 m in about 35 miles, and not knowing much about the region, I assumed I would probably want to stay away in bad weather.
I am now under 100 miles away from the coast and the wind has still not turned SW, forcing me to continue my NW course towards land. The weather has settled now and I not as worried about the sea state. However, a layer of fog has set and visibility is now under 100 meters!
The climate is getting warmer, I am now wearing only one layer when inside the boat! I have spotted my first two flying fish this morning, not even noticing their absence in the higher latitudes! The pelagic bird life has also changed since yesterday. I am now accompanied by big black petrels, which my book seems to identify as first year Giant Petrels, still a few Black Browed Albatrosses, and yesterday I spotted a Royal Albatross, this one is bigger than the black browed, and can reach 122cm. As a general rule, I found all these birds like to be where the strong winds are and their presence and activity is then abundant.
04/29
Time 1626UTC
COG 356°
SOG 5 kts
Propulsion Engine
Wind N 4kts
Sea 1.5m W swell long period
Baro 1010 hPa
Daily Mileage 120nm
April 29th – Clean up day
I rigged the pole last night when the wind finally started dropping, and sailed slowly all the way through the night. By the morning the wind was down to 8 kts had headed again so I decided to drop the pole and give the mainsail a go, first reef at first, then full main when the wind started building to 10-11kts.
The calm weather finally gave me a possibility to clean up inside the boat and stow away plenty of things in preparation for the 30kts expected on a new tack! The sun outside also gave me an invitation to take a very long-awaited shower and scrub! The wind then dropped completely and I decided to start the engine and track slowly north to keep the boat semi stable. I’m now on standby, advancing my crochet project, keeping an eye on the wind and ready for the next hit!!!
Message from router:
Routing remains the same. Strong NE winds, with thunderstorms and nasty fronts N of 36S latitude are passing through quickly on a WNW to ESE course. Screenshot Mon midnight local (Tue 0300UTC).I am using ECMWF model. Winds will start veering at Mon noon local (1500UTC) and you should be 37S 51W by then, and tack when that happens. NE winds will perdure 24h until Tue noon local (1500UTC), By then you should be 35.8S 53W and as the wind backs with the passage of a front, you will tack again to resume a NE course.
Again waypoints are 37S 51W (Mon noon local UTC-3) and 35.8S 53W (Tue noon local UTC-3). That means slow way down and heave to whatever is best for you. The NW leg is only 120NM for 24h.
04/28
Time 1430 UTC
Position 38°50.01’S 052°47.13’W
COG 027°
SOG 7.5kts
Wind W 25-30 kts
Sea 3m+ W swell
Sky Partly covered, cumulous + cumulonimbus Baro 1000 hPa Sails Jib 3 reef + storm staysail
April 28th – Instruments are taking a vacation
Wind has stayed strong since yesterday and through the night, the whole time above 25 kts, and the swell is large and ornated with white crests. Many birds are out and giving me a show again. There was something off with the Giro compass last night, it had me off course of 30° for an hour before I noticed. I couldn’t find anything obstructing its area, so decided to reboot the instruments. Doing so didn’t help with the giro, but I also lost my speed instrument, which is used to calculate true wind…
I left the autopilot on a course that would compensate for the error through the night, and in the morning gave all the instruments a break and helmed for an hour. The speed is still not responding, but the Giro seems to be correct again. The more I think of it, I wonder if it would have been possible to actually have a 30-40° leeway, seeing that I only have head sails up, and have strong winds on the beam, meaning a bit of a sideways current. But highly unlikely, I currently have the same configuration and 10-12° leeway. I have sped up since yesterday, still aiming for a waypoint to position me under Monday night’s thunderstorm, although looking more tamed, but anticipating to slow down in the night as the wind drops.
04/27
Time 1620 UTC
Position 40°47.66’S 054°08.56W
COG 025°
SOG 5 kts
Wind 245° 25-30 kts
Sea 3 m wind swell from WSW
Sails storm staysail
Weather over cast, squalls
Baro 996 hPa
Daily mileage 165nm
April 27th – I’m keeping busy
I rigged the pole up last night when the wind backed and dropped on my port stern. The wind then oscillated between 12 and 25 knots through the night, but the pole did a good job of keeping the jib happy in all conditions and few course changes were made. When the sun rose, the wind was back to NW and I dropped the pole down. It’s as I was prepping this maneuver that I heard a strange clicking noise from the aft cabin. It was coming from the autopilot pilot motor belt. I heaved to, removed the shield off the belt section and found one of the belt wheels free to move up and down it’s shaft with a loose grub screw. Tightening the grub screw seemed to do the trick and I went back on my way.
Looking at the weather, there is strong NW winds and thunderstorms due near Montevideo in a couple of days. My router advises me to slow down and let the storm travel west over me on Monday night. As I’m studying the grib file, a squall passes me, the wind out is gusting 38kts, then it goes to 45, I nervously laugh at the idea of slowing down the boat in this weather. I furl the Jib. Still doing 8 knots. I hoist the storm stay sail, drop the main. Now I’m doing 4.5kts, but it’s truly uncomfortable. The waves are building, and the boat definitely feels safer with more speed. But this still feels manageable. I will keep this configuration, and hope the forecast changes in my favor! On the bright side, the miserable motion inside the boat means I’m in for a cheat meal, the frozen pie is in the oven!
04/26
Time 1537 UTC
Position 42°58.52’S 056°13.37’W
COG 037°
SOG 8 kts
Wind 290° 27-32 kts
Sails: Main 3rd reef Jib 2nd reef
Sea 2m and forming from NW
Sky full cloud cover, rain
Baro 998hPa
Daily Mileage 161nm
April 26 – More wind than expected
The wind dropped at the start of the night, down to low teens and came back up again in the early morning to 18-20. This saw me perform many reefing maneuvers and I am back to third reef in the main to best welcome the current 27-29 knots of wind from abaft my port beam. I had only just gotten over my stomach discomfort and the boat is back at healing heavily and fraying its way through a still forming sea. Nevertheless, I am on a perfect course and heading straight towards the East tip of Brazil.
I find myself under a precipitation, rain has just started falling, wind is gusting to 32kts and the lamb coat covered chairs in the pilot house are more inviting than ever. It’s about time to start cooking and I am dreading this experience already! I am accompanied by a few of the usual suspects, the wind lovers, Albatros and Petrels.
04/25 – sea report
Time 1624 UTC
Position 45°03.02’S 058°25.23’W
COG 043°
SOG 5.6kts
Wind 320° 23 kts
Sea 3.5m NW swell
Cloud coverage 1/8
Sails Main 3rd reef storm stay sail, wee bit of jib Daily mileage 148nm
April 25th – A day at the fair
My router sent me straight into Squid Jigger Land (to be fair I was supposed to be positioned further West closer to the Argentine coast). As the sun set last night, and I was admiring the rising moon, I spotted a ship with many lights on the horizon, this one didn’t seem very far, maybe 4 miles. As I moved over to take bearings, I saw another one right on my bow. As I watched it, one bright light turned on on its deck, then another, and another, it soon was so full of very bright lights, it was impossible to tell which way he was going. I figured they were both still and made my way between them. As I passed them, the horizon suddenly presented a line of illuminated spots.
I spent the next four hours juggling between the increasing wind and swell and avoiding these mostly still but sometimes moving straight to me blobs of light! Ironically, before being interrupted by bad signal, my old friend Gringo was trying to warn me about Squid Jigger season and that I appeared to be headed for a big patch of these fishing boats.
As predicted, the wind increased to 30 kts, a bit before midnight, and sat east of north for two hours before backing again. At lunch time today, the wind is slowly decreasing but the swell remains. This makes for some pretty uncomfortable living… Roller coaster is what comes to mind. I am keeping my sail coverage down to avoid pounding through these big waves.
04/24 – sea report
Time 1506 UTC
Position 46°19.51’S 061°35.99’W
COG 039°
SOG 6 kts
Wind 334° 12 kts
Sea Building swell from the N
Cloud cover 1/8 low cumulus on horizon
Baro 1005
Sail configuration Main 1st reef Full Jib Daily Milage 127nm
April 24th – The wind returns
The wind left us again at the beginning of the night and I roll away the Jib, leaving the pole up. Its starts building again in the early morning and I drag myself out of bed at 4:30 am to drop the pole, hoist the main with one reef and unfurl the jib, all under the soothing light of the full moon. The wind very slowly picks up and veers throughout the morning. The swell is also picking up, I can feel it in my stomach. Another sunny clear skied day. I’m sailing as close to the wind as possible, as it will be pushing me East as it increases. I am about to go around and do a proper tidy up of the boat in provision of the 30 kts I am expecting tonight.
04/23 – sea report
Time 1500UTC
Position 48°15.60’S 061°35.12’W
COG 320
SOG 4.5kts
Wind 180° 9kts
Sea 1m long and confused swell 1 set from N and 1 set from SW Propulsion ME Poled Jib Cloud cover 1/8
Baro 1000 Daily
Mileage 150nm
April 23rd – A windless despair
The wind gradually lightened through the night until it reached under 8 kts at 7am, when I had to drop the upset mainsail and furl away the confused Jib. I’m using one of my engine cards, as if I don’t get going I will be sitting right in the strongest of the gale coming tomorrow. I motor NNW to find the west side of the low’s ridge where more wind is due and rig the Jib on the pole to try and use the light SW breeze. It is definitely getting warmer, I had to layer down in the night and get rid of my fleece during my pole manoeuvre on deck.
The starlink connection is starting to get better and I finally have a much better picture of the weather pattern to be expected. My intermittent napping, which consists, during the dark hours to rest for 30 minutes, get up, check horizon, course, wind, AIS, radar and go back to bed, is working quite well. I keep my alarm in the bridge so there is no risk of falling back to sleep, and I stay sleepy enough to pass out again after my checks. I follow this pattern from around ten at night until seven in the morning, which should give me plenty of rest, and sure entertained, as each rest comes with a new dream!
By the end of the day the swell has lessened and the jib alone manages to move the boat through the sea at 4.5 kts.
04/22 – sea report
Time 1843 UTC
Position 50°02.55’S 062°31.08’W
COG 000°
SOG 7.5 kts
Wind 280° 17-20kts
Sea 2m W swell
Sky coverage 1/8
Sail conf Main 2nd reef, Jib 2n reef
Baro 1002
Daily milage 185nm
My successful yet in development intermittent napping scheme was swiftly interrupted this morning around 6.30, when the glare of the setting moon faded and revealed a light on the horizon ahead. I had checked marine traffic the evening before and spotted a fishing boat that I could potentially cross paths with. This must be it. I can only briefly see him on the radar at 9 miles away. I take bearings and we are on a collision course, so I bear away. A while later we are still on a collision course and I decide to pass the other side of him, so I steer north, but as the sky starts to brighten with the day’s rising, I can see him less and less until he disappears. I am still sleepy and decide to close my eyes and set short alarms. When I can finally see him on the AIS we are headed to a common point. After a quick chat with F.V. Petrel on the VHF we agree I will alter my course further north and pass ahead of him as he is trawling and will be reducing his speed down. Only moments after passing his bow, as I am preparing my habitual morning banana and cheese Tapioca, another alarm sets on the AIS and I am now on a collision course with F.V. Festeiro. This time I can clearly see him, I bear away, passing downwind of him and resume my course half hour later. Between these two boats, and in the pink shades of the sun rise, the bird activity is crazy. Around me the sky is filled with all sorts of Pelagic species, flying close to the sea, picking up and diving back down, circling the boat, passing over, and away again.
After lunch, as I’m busy studying Beyonce’s new country music album, I get a friendly call and a very close fly-by from an aircraft from the Falkland Islands.
I am now following a northerly course, to get a better angle when a northerly gale comes in on Wednesday. The wind today is steady and the skies clear, it has me spending lots time out on deck. The hydro generator gave us trouble this morning as it caught a real spaghetti knot of kelp and was dragging along with its prop stuck. I managed to pull it out, cut the sea weed and chuck it back in.
04/21 – sea report
Time 1508
Position 52°57.07’S 064°07.10’W
COG 025°
SOG 8 kts
Wind 270° 17-22kts
Sea 2m W swell
Sky cover 1/8
April 21st – Out of LeMaire, cap au nord
Coming out of LeMaire straights, a northerly set persists with 2 kts of current. The wind is still S of SW so I follow a northely course, incrementing to the right as the wind continues veering. I continue the naps, this time in the comfort of the skipper’s cabin. As the sun rises, the wind lessens to high teens, and the swell dies down to 2m in height.
The sky clears out and the day is sunny, I am surrounded by pelagic birds. Albatrosses, Silver-Grey Fulmars, Giant Petrels, Storm Petrels and one Snow Petrel. The sun is low and blinds the view on bow the whole day long. I do a proper inspection of the deck and rigging, after the strong winds from the night before, and find everything remains intact.
04/20
April 20th – Departure from Puerto Williams
After a last coffee in the warmth of SV Kaap Horn with Narciso and brother, I use a few buckets of salt water to clear the deck of the light layer of snow and my new friends see me off the Marina Micalvi for my long solo passage. In the harbour the wind is strong and it has me going three knots in throttle ticked over forward while I stow away the lines and fenders. But as I unfurl the jib and start making east on the channel, south of Isla Gable, the wind is light and I slowly glide along at 3 kts. I am conservative with the jib as frequent gusts roll down the mountains and reach 20 knots from the beam.
The wind gradually lifts as I make East, then totally disappears for half hour as we reach the height of Caleta Margarita, but it comes back with full strength north of Isla Picton and after a control call with Alcamar Picton Radio Station, I hoist the mainsail to the third reef to point up and create room downwind of me and only bare away once I am between Isla Picton and Isla Nueva.
By now the wind has picked up to a set 24 kts with gusts to 28 and a 2 meter swell. As I pass the lee of Isla Nueva the sun begins to set, the wind lifts to 30 kts from the south, gusting 38, and the swell gradually picks up to reach 4 meter in height. Despite the cloud cover, the moon shines bright and allows to clearly see the shape of the sea around me.
As I am heading straight for the Straight of Le Maire, I start taking short naps in the pilot house. I timed my passage to be at the entrance of the straight at the start of the incoming tide in Buen Suceso, and only notice 2 knots max of current during the hole passage through the straight, and manage to make it through with only one gibe as the wind veers to SSW.
04/19
Getting ready to sail alone North through Estrecho de Le Maire. Fall has arrived, temperatures are lower, there is an east gale blowing through on Friday, and departure should be feasible after the front on Saturday albeit in strong SW winds.
Tidal current in Le Maire goes north with the flood and low tide at Buen Suceso in the straight is around 10pm. That means going through at night. Option B would be to go around Isla de los Estados but here is the comment from my router:
“Both Le Maire at night, and sailing to windward of Iles des Etats at night, with 30kts (Gusts 45kts), waves 3-4m at night, very low temps after the cold front, is crazy hard.”
Better double check that we get the tide right…